The delivery crew includes, from left: VFD member Tyson Baker, Auxiliary Chairwoman Linda Nester, VFD member Kelli Baker, Jenna and member Brandon Howells and Santa.

HOLLWAY — For the third year, the Holloway VFD Auxiliary and Holloway Methodist Church are thinking about more than just the children in Holloway.

Rest assured Santa did visit village children at the church while having a “pajama party” on Dec. 10, followed by the lighting of the town tree, but department members realize that there are more people to consider during this holiday season. Some of our more “mature” residents are home alone, and some do not have nearby relatives or get family visits at Christmastime, so they enjoy bringing a little holiday cheer to them, too.

“We started doing this in 2020, when the pandemic prevented us from going out, traveling or enjoying time with one another,” said VFD member/Auxiliary President Linda Nester. “We started by making a list (and checking it twice) of those in town that we could bring some holiday cheer during that very trying time. Thus, the members of the Holloway VFD Auxiliary and the Methodist Church members started work together to help ensure our ‘more seasoned’ residents got a little something under their tree for Christmas. Now, high prices are today’s challenge, so anything we can give to them is a wonderful thing.

Calls were made, donations were welcomed, and between the items that members of the VFD Auxiliary and Church and members were able to donate, and donations from others, 33 “Christmas Care Packages” were filled this year. Besides the donations from the organizations and members, other donations from Colgate-Palmolive (Cambridge, Ohio), River Vue Gardens (Bellaire), and Susan (Morris) Adams were instrumental in helping to make the care packages special.

The packages were prepared at the Fire Hall on Dec. 17. The Christmas Care Packages included homemade jelly from River Vue Gardens, crackers, Palmolive dish liquid, toothbrush and toothpaste, oranges, trash bags, lap blanket, “Beans in a Jar” soup mix, tissues, a Christmas card cookies and other items dropped into each bag.

With lights on, Christmas music playing and Santa on the front of the e-squad, members of the Holloway VFD hand delivered each package to residents.

“Using the e-squad added a little extra awareness, cheer and excitement to the Christmas Care Package as they were being delivered,” Nester said. “We did notify the town in advance so we didn’t scare the residents seeing the squad roaming town with our lights on.

“The recipients are so surprised and appreciative of what we are doing. We’ve received so many thank you’s from those who received a Christmas Care Package and also loads of thanks from those who do not. It makes us feel so good to be able to do this – after all that is what Christmas is all about, giving.”

Holloway United Methodist Church would like to invite everyone to join in celebrating Christ’s birth on Saturday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, at 6 p.m. Both the Holloway VFD & Auxiliary and the Holloway Methodist Church want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy new year!